Faith kills greed and greed kills faith. The connection might not be obvious on the outset, but that's how the root works. When we are overcome by the satisfaction of Christ—which I can tell you first-hand and I'm sure you've experienced too—it overwhelms to the point of absolute trust.
To me, one of the most powerful verses that has spoken to me personally is Psalm 23:1: "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want" (ESV). Do you know what it's like to not be in want? Maybe in certain moments, but our life as a whole is determined by want. That's not necessarily a bad thing. When we want more of God or want to help the poor, those are great things.
It's when we start wanting some things more than things that are more valuable—when we want sin more than righteousness or convenience more than God's commands—that's where we get in trouble. One of the number one things any believer will battle with today is the struggle to steer clear of the destructive grip of greed. Greed will kill you and it will start by killing your faith.
I've been having a tremendous struggle with my house for the past few months because of land title issues and tax problems, and I've learned a lot through the struggle. The other day, I was walking home when all these negative thoughts started coming in, telling me that I was going to lose my house and be homeless and that God didn't care. I realised how all these thoughts were rooted in greed. For the past month all my time had been spent worrying about the house instead of believing and trusting that my God didn't want me or my family to become homeless.
How often does your faith dwindle? I believe that many times when that happens, it was greed that clouded your view of the faithfulness of God. Hebrews 13:5 reminds us, "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'" (ESV).
A heart in faith will always be a heart content. Sure, faith will drive you to greater heights, but even as you climb that mountain, peace and gratitude will overcome you so much that you start thinking "Lord, even if this is as far as I will ever get, I thank you because it's certainly more than I deserve."
The grace of God was made most sufficient for us through Jesus Christ and He meets and satisfies all our needs. Think about it: you may not have everything you want, but I'm certain you have everything you need to be alive today and to live the purposes of God. That's only because of Jesus Christ and who He is in our lives. Live a life of faith, and the greed and discontentment in you will progressively melt in gratitude and peace.
